The present invention relates generally to bicycles and, more particularly, to a device for associating a rider's anatomy with a preferred size of a bicycle seat and orienting the preferred seat relative to a bicycle.
Many bicycle seats are provided with a generally concave upper surface constructed to support a seated rider. Many riders suffer from adverse physical effects do to the interaction of the seat with rider anatomy. Particularly, during long rides, the extended duration of interaction of the rider with the seat compresses the rider's perineal area. This compression detrimentally affects rider circulation and can result in the sensation of numbness and/or rider discomfort. Although the discomfort can be common in both male and female riders, impotence can result from extended and repeated periods of the compression and/or circulation effects in male riders.
Having recognized the adverse physical interaction with the seat, others have provided seats with hollowed center cavities, raised perimeter areas, seats constructed of a variety of pliable or deformable materials, and/or combinations thereof. While these approaches somewhat abate most of the incidence of perineal compression, they also substantially increase the cost and complexity of the construction and assembly of such bicycle seats.
Others abate the problem of perineal compression by providing a variety of saddle sizes having a variety of upper surface contours such that a majority of the weight of the rider is supported by the ischial tuberosities of the rider's pelvis skeletal structure. One problem with such an approach is the accurate determination of the spacing between the ischial tuberosities such that a specific seat size and shape can be associated with the specific user. Commonly, riders would simply sit upon a number of seats for brief periods of weighted loading to determine which seat “felt best”. Unfortunately, the effects of perineal compression commonly only become apparent after extended periods of engagement with a particular seat. Accordingly, such trial and error efforts often associate a rider with a less than desired seat size and shape.
Others have attempted to better associate a rider's physiology with a seat by measuring indentations that are formed by the rider sitting upon a deformable material such as foam or the like. Although such processes allow for closer association of the riders physiology with a desired seat construction, such size determining systems are susceptible to individual measurement variations. That is, a user may improperly measure the indentation spacing and thereby select a seat size and shape that is less than desirable. Additionally, such systems commonly include a one time use deformable material such that sufficient amounts of the material must be maintained on hand.
Therefore, there is a need for a reusable device that can quickly and accurately measure a skeletal feature and associate the size of the skeletal structure with a preferred bicycle seat size.